Happy Thanksgiving.
Like most holidays, whether a day or a long weekend or if you’re someone who celebrates “birthday week” or even a season, there’s images that come to mind. Harvest, the seasonal colours, family gatherings, turkey and those favourite sides, pumpkins, “the big game.” Everyone has their own traditions.
For some, it might be simpler. For some, they might feel like there’s not much to be thankful for - there’s lots going on in the world and people are struggling. Food Banks and missions are busy, we’re wondering about the future, winter - and “winter” of all kinds - is coming.
Take a moment and think about something you can be thankful for. That may be easy or it may be a struggle - don’t give up! - there are things for which we should be thankful.
I’m thankful for you. Truly. Not just because you’re reading this, but just because you are. There’s only one of you and the world needs it right now. That’s true of everyone, whether we agree with them, like them, are annoyed by them, struggle with them or would really like it if they’d just stop what they’re doing and do what I want.
Thing is, we have to live with each other and that can be challenging. Very, sometimes.
I wonder how different things could be if we had thanksgiving every day.
Just to be clear, though, I’m thinking about thanks-giving. More than a few people have pointed out that we often tend to think of feeling thankful - just as I started out with here - and stop there with that warm, fuzzy feeling for us. But it’s not Thanksfeeling, it’s Thanksgiving. Maybe it should even be Thanksliving.
It’s important to be thanks-full and appreciative, but you can live that, too. You can share it, give it to others by living a life of gratitude. Thankful for each other, thankful for the world around us and all it provides, thankful for simple, ordinary things that we take for granted. And when we share that, we share our food with the hungry, we share our time with the lonely, we share our care with the sick, we share our love with those that are feeling broken and hurt, we share our listening with those who need to be understood, we share our patience with the frustrating, we share our love with the hate-full - we share our thanks with those who struggle to feel thanks-full.
When I read the stories about Jesus, I wonder how often those four or five verse miracle encounters were really hours long. I wonder how they must have begun with Jesus asking them to share their story. And patiently listening, Jesus would tell them how thankful he was for them. His offering of healing and grace is living thanks. I wonder if, every time Jesus met someone, he saw it as an opportunity to be thanksful and thanksgiving. A happy thanksgiving.
